


The beginning of us

by Misaki_0415



Series: Days of Bliss: Eternity [6]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi is a seer you cannot change my mind, Akaashi: Remind me again why I am in love with this idiot (smiles lovingly at Bokuto, Beaches, Bokuaka-Freeform, Bokuto is an adorable idiot aaaaaAAAAA, Bokuto please listen in class before your teacher explodes-, Bokuto proposing with a pun before they even started dating be like:, Boys In Love, Boys' Love, Confessions, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Haikyuu-freeform, Kenma does not know how to use the microwave, Kissing, Living Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Time Skip, absolutely no one: |Bokuto: T E A!, no one: |Bokuto: forgets paper cannot survive in water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:07:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29434332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misaki_0415/pseuds/Misaki_0415
Summary: From strangers to teammates and teammates to lovers, the couple take an enjoyable trip down the memory lane—back to the days when they were still in Fukurodani Academy. This is how two people of opposite personalities got together—the story of 'us'.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Series: Days of Bliss: Eternity [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1896661
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	The beginning of us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TofuRamen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TofuRamen/gifts).



> I hope whoever is reading this will enjoy it ;u; I did spend a lot of time on this (a lot more time than my usual short fics), and it will mean a lot to me if you stayed with me until the end of the story!! ;A; *grovels in gratitude

“Are you sure? Absolutely sure??”

Kuroo groaned as he held the phone a bit further away from his ear, protecting his eardrums from Bokuto’s shouts. 

“Kuroo? Kuroo!! Hellooo? Did you fall asleep?”

_As if it’s possible to fall asleep with someone being so loud._ “No, I’m still awake,” Kuroo replied with a sigh. His eyes were glued to Kenma, who was staring at the microwave with a food package in hand. “And yeah, I’m sure. At least it works for me. Since Kenma has really bad eating habits, I bring him food as an excuse to go over to his place.”

“But Akaashi doesn’t need me to do anything for him!” A whine came from the other side of the call. “He’s...just too perfect!!”

“It doesn’t need to be ‘doing something for him’, just use whatever excuse that comes to mind—” A muffled voice in the background interrupted their conversation, which was quickly followed by a frantic yell. “Kenma, that’s not how you use a microwave! Hold on!”

“Kuroo? Are you still there?” Bokuto held his phone up in case he was losing connection, but no sooner than later a clear voice came from his phone.

“Dude, I have to go before Kenma sets the house on fire. Later!” 

_Beep...Beep...Beep..._

“He hung up!! Now what do I do?” Bokuto huffed and plopped down onto his bed. “What excuse is coming to my mind? Hmm...”

He stared at the ceiling as if intending to burn a hole through it, his brows furrowing from thinking too much. However, it wasn’t long before his brain, which was overflowing with thoughts of Akaashi, surrendered. Frustrated, he started to kick his legs in the air. “Ahh, at times like this, I really want to go to the beach and eat some—”

_“...just use whatever excuse that comes to mind!”_

“This is what Kuroo was talking about, right? It has to be!!” Bokuto cheered and threw his fist into the air. “Bahahaha! I’m a genius! This’ll definitely work!”

Bokuto hummed as he got ready for bed, waiting for the hours to pass so he could put his plan in action...

...

“EHH?! WHY NOT??”

Akaashi flinched, startled by the sudden cry. Luckily, it wasn’t loud enough to stand out in the reverberating chattering in the classroom. Unable to reject the puppy eyes his ace was giving him, Akaashi tried his best to find the right words before Bokuto’s mood worsened. “Bokuto-san, our exams are coming up in a few days. I don’t think it’s the right time to go to the beach...I’m really sorry.”

“But...but...” Unable to come up with any excuse, the only thing on Bokuto’s mind came out as a whine. “Akaaaashi!!”

“Well, we can go after the exams with the rest of the team—”

“I only want to go with you!”

Not knowing why Bokuto blurted out such a request, Akaashi asked reflexively, “...Why?” 

“B-Because it’s too loud with everyone there!!” _Is that convincing enough? Akaashi, please believe me!!_

_Bokuto-san, you’re the loudest out of everyone..._ “Then, if you pass your maths exam this time, I’ll go to the beach with you over the weekend after the results are out.” Akaashi suggested. He wasn’t against the idea of going to the beach alone with Bokuto, but why not use this to get Bokuto to work harder on his academics? After all, it might serve as a motivation of some sort...

“Really? Really really? Pinky-promise?” Bokuto’s eyes lit up upon hearing the suggestion. He was aware of his inadequate abilities in mathematics, but it wasn’t enough to stop him from getting his hopes up. _As long as I can go to the beach alone with Akaashi, I’ll have to give it a try!_

“Yes, Bokuto-san.” Noticing Bokuto had held out his pinky, his lips curled up into a small smile of adoration as he interlocked pinkies with his elated senpai. “Pinky-promise.”

“Alright!!! I’ll pass my maths exams, piece of pie!”

“Bokuto-san, it’s ‘piece of cake’...”

“Hey, you with the spiky hair! You’re not in this class!” The teacher’s booming voice interrupted the pair as she pointed at Bokuto. “Didn’t you hear the bell ring? Go back to your classroom!”

“AhhHHH! Bye Akaashi!!! I’ll talk to you later!” Akaashi watched as Bokuto scrambled out the room, his eyes twinkling in amusement. _I wonder what excuse Bokuto-san would come up with when his homeroom teacher asks about his tardiness? He’d probably fib and say he fell asleep in the library or something..._

“Alright, please turn your textbook—Bokuto?” Yoshida’s gaze shifted from the class to Bokuto, who was trying to tiptoe back to his seat after sliding the doors open loudly. “Your belongings are on your desk, so don’t even use tardiness as an excuse. I hope you have a valid reason for being late to the first lesson.”

“Yoshida-sensei! I...uh...” Bokuto started to fidget nervously as he stammered. “I...fell asleep in the washroom...” His response triggered an uproar of laughter, which further made the blush on his cheeks spread like wildfire.

Yoshida let out a sigh of surrender before waving his hand dismissively. “...Never mind. Go back to your seat.” 

Flustered, Bokuto rushed back to his seat and plopped down, his fingers fumbling with his maths book to turn to the right page. “Hmm...” Even though he was on the right page, the questions barely made sense to him. It wasn’t long before his mind drifted off to somewhere else while flipping through the pages, in search of a leaf with more space to scribble on. 

“Supplementary exercise? Meh. But the page after it is blank...perfect!” 

_Mom always said she thought Dad’s confession was really cute and romantic, and if I remember correctly, Dad gave her a confession note under a cherry blossom tree...I’ll do just that! I’ll give him a confession letter when we go on the beach date...Akaashi will definitely say yes!_

Confident, Bokuto started to draft his confession letter. 

_La la laa... Akaashi likes li-liter-litrachure—literature? Uh, the poem thingys! I’ll include that...He always talks about how pretty the verses are, but I think his eyes are a lot prettier! Oh, maybe I can say his eyes are as pretty as the poem thingys..._

“Bokuto, can you tell me what the answer is?”

_Hm, would ‘I really really like you, Akaashi, I would die for you!’ work? But last time I told him I’d die for him, he got really upset...that’s a big no-no!_

“Bokuto? What are you doing?”

_Akaashi is so smart and pretty, he’s just perfect! My sisters always told me i wasn’t good with words, maybe I’ll have someone from the literature club to help me..._

“BOKUTO! CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT ARE YOU SO FOCUSED ON FOR YOU TO _IGNORE_ MY QUESTION OVER AND OVER AGAIN??” 

“Ahh!” Finally realizing Yoshida’s exasperation directed at him, Bokuto yelped in surprise and slammed his book shut. “N-Nothing, sensei!”

“Okay, then since you were so _concentrated_ you couldn’t even hear me, I suppose you’ve figured out how to solve this then? Why don’t you come up here and write your answer on the blackboard?”

Bokuto gulped and slowly made his way to the blackboard, his eyes never tearing away from the wiggly numbers on the board. 

“Psst, just use the general equation and substitute the numbers into it!” His classmate whispered, trying to help the stiff build slowly inching away from his seat.

_EQUATION? SUBSTITUTE??? WHAT EQUATION?? AAAAAAAAH I’M DONE FOR!!!_

His fingers shook as they picked up the piece of chalk, and slowly, he turned to look at Yoshida. _Yoshida-sensei, help!! I’ll be good I promise!_ Bokuto tried his best to plead through eye signals, flashing his teacher the most earnest look he could muster.

_Hah...fine._ “Go back to your seat and concentrate for real this time, okay?” Yoshida exhaled. He had already lost count of the times he had sighed because of Bokuto.

_Oh yeah, I can’t pass my maths exam if I don’t concentrate!_ Bokuto nodded and headed back to his seat, determined to put in more effort this time. Unfortunately, it seemed to be purely impossible for the simple-minded ace to focus, especially on his worst subject. After only a few minutes of attempting, Bokuto was already sound asleep, ignorant of his teacher who was about to explode.

“Bokuto...”

_Mmnn...Akaaaashhhi..._

“H-Hey! Bokuto, wake up! Yoshida-sensei’s walking this way.” The classmate in front of him frantically patted his shoulder, trying to wake the oblivious young man.

“Akaa—aHH!!!” Bokuto jolted awake, scratching the back of his head sheepishly at the sight of the fuming man in front of him. “N-Nice day, Yoshida-sensei...”

“Isn’t it? The weather is just _so_ nice that I’ve decided to ask for a favour.” A cold smile hung on Yoshida’s lips as he crossed his arms. “Won’t you finish the supplementary exercises in this chapter for me to check tomorrow?”

_NOOOO! YOSHIDA-SENSEI, PLEASE SPARE ME!!_ “B-But...exams? R-Revision?” 

“Oh, you won’t have to worry about that. This is included in the syllabus, so you can just treat it as a part of your revision. However...” 

_Ohnononono this can’t be good...!_

“...if you don't get at least 70% of the questions correct, you’ll have to redo it.”

_...! Noooo! How is that possible? I don’t even understand the questions!!!_

“Alright class, please pass these down!” Yoshida reminded the class while giving out the papers in hand. “These exercises will be very useful when you do your revision...”

Having forgotten about the draft, Bokuto sulked as a stack of papers landed on his desk, his eyes filled with emptiness. 

...

“What is this? I don’t understand it at alllll...” He mumbled as he pressed his left cheek against the table, lazily reaching out for his phone upon hearing the notification. “I just want some alone time with Akaashi...why is it so hard— _uwAhHh!!!_ ” Bokuto hollered at the sight of one unread message from Akaashi. 

_Ohmigosh ohmigosh Akaashi texted me!!!! Hold on, I need to sit up straight! This is a very important matter!!_

Anxious, he calmed his nerves before clicking open their chat.

< _Hello, Bokuto-san. How’s revision going so far? -akAasHi!!! > _

_A-Akaaashi!!!_ _( ⁄ ⁄• ⁄- ⁄•⁄ ⁄ )_ _Why are you so cute?? Wait, what do I reply?!! Uh...!_

“He’s been typing for some time now...” Unlike Bokuto, who was tossing and turning in his bed, Akaashi stared at his phone quietly with his usual composure while waiting for a reply. 

_ <AKAAAASHI SENF HEELPPP!1!1!1! -Bokuto-san> _

“Senf...does he mean ‘send’? Pffft, his typos are so cute.”

“Oh no, is Akaashi leaving me on read? Kuroo said if someone leaves you on read it means they don’t want to talk to you...! No way, does Akaashi not want to talk to—ha, he replied! I knew Kuroo was lying!” Bokuto grumbled as his fingers moved across the keyboard.

_ <What’s wrong, Bokuto-san? -akAasHi!!!> _

_ <supplementary exercises are so hard qwqqq the numbers look weeeeird :((( -You> _

_ <Do you want me to come over and help you? -akAasHi!!!> _

_ <YEAHHHH :D THX AKAASHI UR THE BEST -You> _

“Yesssss!!!” Victorious, Bokuto pumped his fist. After sending his address to Akaashi, he tossed his phone aside and waited in anticipation for the doorbell to ring. After half an hour, which felt like forever, he heard the chime that he had been waiting for.

_Finally!!_ “Aka—owww!” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened immediately after watching Bokuto bang his head on the door and stumble a few steps backwards. _D-Did he forget to take a step back when he opened the door?_ “Bokuto-san, are you okay?” 

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine! This is nothing!” Bokuto laughed as he tried to ignore the stinging pain on his forehead. “Come in!”

“Sorry for intruding.” Akaashi bowed courteously before closing the door behind him. “Are you sure your forehead is okay? Maybe you should get an ice pack...”

“Right! Ice pack!” _Why am I so nervous? Is it because this is the first time Akasshi has come over? Or is it because we’re alone?_ Unable to calm his pounding heart, Bokuto took a breath before he slid the door open, only to catch a glimpse of a bathtub. “Ah, wrong room—”

Akaashi chuckled softly as Bokuto scampered and disappeared behind another door. “Just go to my room, I left the door open! I’ll be right there—!” A shout came from the kitchen, but no sooner than later a sharp inhale was heard.

_STUPID ICE PACK!! WHY ARE YOU SO COLD?!!_

“Bokuto-san? Do you need help?” Bokuto gulped nervously upon hearing the concern in his underclassman’s voice, panicking even more at the growing volume of footsteps.

“I’M GOOD!” Bokuto yelled and heaved a sigh of relief as the sound of footsteps grew lighter. However, his short-lived relief immediately disappeared when realization dawned upon him.

_Oh my god that was SUPER DUPER UNCOOL!! NOOOOOO! (⇀‸↼‶) Stupid ice pack, it’ll be your fault if he rejects me!_

Meanwhile, Akaashi was in Bokuto’s room waiting patiently, unaware of the dispute between his upperclassman and an ice pack. When the door opened again, Bokuto had an ice pack placed on his forehead with a headband holding it in place. But before Akaashi could say anything, Bokuto snapped his fingers as if suddenly remembering something. “Wait! I’ll go get you some tea!” And with that, he disappeared behind the door once again. 

“...I guess I’ll take a look at the questions first...” Akaashi sighed as he flipped through the pages. “Hmm, didn’t we learn this at the beginning of the school year? And this too... The only thing I haven’t learnt is this equation since I’m still a 2nd year...Good. I was afraid I wouldn’t be helpful.” Thankful that he was at least slightly familiar with this chapter, Akaashi started to underline the keywords and circle the data needed in the question. 

“It’s not that hard...The basics are pretty much the same, and—”

His hands stopped at the sight of faint scribbles beneath the page. _I’m surprised Bokuto-san even uses his textbook in class. I wonder what he wrote..._

_...?!_ A gasp escaped his lips as messy doodles and declarations of love came to sight. “This is...? _‘His eyes are prettier than the poem thingys’_ ? _‘I really really like him!’_...”

_Bokuto-san...likes me too?_ Akaashi couldn’t contain the small smile forming on his reddened face. _Then...maybe, I can—wait. If I tell him about this, he’ll probably feel sad it didn’t go the way he planned. I’ll just pretend I didn’t see this then. Still, my eyes are pretty?_ _( ⁄ ⁄ ⁄- ⁄ ⁄ ⁄ )_ _That’s flattering..._

Ignorant of the fact his feelings for his setter were already exposed, Bokuto hummed a happy tune while preparing some tea. “Akaashi’s going to think I’m mature because my parents, who are obviously the ‘mature-est’ people in the world, always serve tea to guests; and since I’m serving tea, that makes me mature too!” 

Akaashi turned his head to the gentle whiff of fragrance wafting into the room, enveloping him in the sweet essence of green tea. There stood Bokuto, who had a proud smile hanging on his lips. With his chest puffed out, Bokuto walked over and set the cups on the table. “AkAAsHi!! Look!!! _T E A!_ ”

_His eyes...is he asking me to praise him?_ Akaashi smiled at Bokuto’s enthusiasm. “Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

“A-Aren’t I really mature?” _HIS SMILE!! SO CUTE!! AAAAA QWQ I CAN’T...IS MY VOICE SHAKING? I REALLY CAN’T HELP IT, HE’S SO ADORABLE!_

_Ah, so that’s what it was._ “Yes, Bokuto-san. That was very mature of you.” Though he usually declined Bokuto’s requests for praise, he decided that today would be an exception. 

It was obvious even to the naked eye that Bokuto was exploding with happiness as he sat down, drumming his fingers on his knee before stealing a glance sideways. The way Akaashi’s fingers grasped the teacup gently made him wonder what it would feel like to clasp such delicate hands; and the way those slender fingers brought the rim to his lips made him fantasize what it would feel like to kiss him. _Even the way he drinks tea is so..._

_...mesmerizing._

“Bokuto-san? Shall we start?”

_Eep!_ “Y-Yeah!” _Did he catch me staring? I hope not! Hnnnm never mind that, I need to focus!! For Akaashi!_

...

“...That’s the end for today! If you find any mistakes in my marking, please tell me as soon as possible. Class dismissed!”

“Hey, how did you do?”

“Argh, the teacher wasn’t lying when she said they increased the difficulty...”

_I wonder how Bokuto-san did._ Akaashi stretched and stood up, the pitter-patter from outside the window attracting his attention. _Ah, it’s raining._ “I hope Bokuto-san didn’t forget to bring his umbrella...”

Unable to shake off the unsettling feeling that he was right, he picked up his pace and hurried down the stairs. Sure enough, a familiar frame was standing at the entrance, seemingly sulking.

“Bokuto-san? Bokuto-san!” Akaashi dashed towards the moping figure, wincing at the pained look on Bokuto’s face when he turned to look at him. _I knew he would forget his umbrella. Good thing I always have a towel with me just in case._ “Why are you standing in the rain? You’re going to catch a cold...”

_Akaashi...?_

“I’ll walk you home first. The umbrella should be big enough for us to share. Here, hold onto this for a bit.” 

Bokuto stared at his kouhai while holding onto the handle as told. His luminous golden eyes only had room for Akaashi: the water droplets trickling down his cheek from the rain the gust had brought; his half-parted lips and fixed gaze as he reached up, gently blotting his soaked tufts. _Uwaah...Akaashi’s drying my hair...!_ Normally, it would have made him extremely happy, but his mind was too occupied by the fact he had failed his maths exam.

“Bokuto-san, what’s wrong? You’ve been spacing off for a while now.” _He failed his maths exam, didn’t he? I can’t think of any other reason why he looks so depressed..._

“Akaashi...I...I...” 

_He’s going to tell me he failed his maths exam and how bad he wants to go to the beach with me, isn’t he?_

“I failed my maths exam!!” Bokuto pouted and whined, his voice trembling as if about to cry. “Akaashi, at least look a little bit surprised! I worked really hard this time!”

_Well, I kinda expected it..._

“Uwaaaah...What do I do...I really really want to go to the beach with you!”

_I know._ “When do you want to go, then? This Saturday or Sunday?”

“E-Eh? B-But I failed my maths exam...”

“I never said I wouldn’t go with you if you failed. My words were ‘If you pass’, and not ‘Only if you pass’—”

“AKAAASHI! I KNEW IT!!! YOU’RE THE BEST!!” A huge smile replaced the frown on Bokuto’s face as he cut Akaashi off. “Can we meet at my house this Saturday after lunch? YAAAAY!” Another loud cheer disrupted the surroundings as the shorter teen nodded his head in approval. 

Akaashi’s lips curled up into a soft smile as they walked together in the direction of Bokuto’s house, enjoying the non-existent distance between them. He could hear his pulse racing amongst the splashing raindrops in the background; and that their breathing were rhythmically in sync. 

_My shoulder is dampening...ah._ Instinctively reaching for the handle to steady the umbrella, the ravenette’s hand wrapped around Bokuto’s fingers instead. 

“A-A-Akaashi? D-D-Do you w-want to hold the u-umbrella? H-Here, t-take it!” Caught off guard, Bokuto stuttered so much one would have thought someone was holding him at knifepoint. Akaashi chuckled softly and shook his head, his grasp moving onto his arm. “No, it’s okay. I’ll just hold onto here.” 

_A-A-A-Akaashi...IS HOLDING ONTO MY ARM!! HE’S PULLING ME IN CLOSER! OH GOD I THINK I MIGHT FAINT—THERE’S NO WAY HE DOESN’T LIKE ME RIGHT? RIGHT?!!_

_I don’t think I’ll get my shoulder wet again...I’m glad he didn’t ask me to hold the umbrella instead. It’s better if the taller one holds it._ Akaashi thought to himself, glancing over his shoulder before redirecting his gaze back to the front. _Still, I never thought his hands were smaller than mine. Would it be weird if I find that cute? He’s got such a loud voice and a solid build, but he’s so adorable..._

...

Because of you, I enrolled into Fukurodani academy. Ever since I first saw you, my eyes...are always following you whenever they can. Your every step, every leap, every spike...I’ve captured every single one of your movements with my very own eyes. I used to think it was impossible to reach the top of the lofty mountain of victory, impossible to conquer the many obstacles that stood in the way—but you showed me the scenery at the summit. 

_“It’s not ‘impossible’, it’s just hard!’_

Such potential...I would never forgive myself if I were to limit you in any way possible. That’s why I made sure you didn’t need to worry about anything—as long as you wished to go forward, I _would_ clear a path for you no matter what it took. It just wasn't in my calculations that you would reach your hand out to me, as if saying, _“Akaashi! Did you see that? I made it! What are you waiting for? Come up!”_

Yes, Bokuto-san, I saw it. Your victorious smile and the satisfaction on your face belongs to one who received rewards for their efforts. And that...was the best scenery out of everything I’ve seen from the peak.

In my eyes, no landscape can compare to you— _my ace_.

...

“Hey hey heeey! We’re here!!” 

“Bokuto-san, you’ll disturb the other visitors.” 

Of course, Bokuto was too happy to even pay attention to his surroundings. “Akaashi, let’s go get ice-cream! I want a chocolate flavoured one!” Likewise, Akaashi didn’t expect Bokuto to listen, so he simply allowed himself to be dragged to the ice-cream parlour with a soft smile dancing on his lips. 

“So many flavours...What flavour are you getting, Akaashi?”

“Hmm, I’m getting mint chocolate.”

_I see! So that’s a flavour someone sensible like Akaashi would pick._ “Then I’ll get mint chocolate too!”

“Didn’t you say you wanted choco—”

“Nope!” Bokuto made a cross with both index fingers before turning to the ice-cream vendor. “Two mint chocolate please!” 

“Bokuto-san, here’s the money for the ice-cream.” Akaashi started to reach for his pouch but was quickly stopped by a firm grip. 

“Akaashi! My treat!”

“...” The ravenette parted lips to say something but changed his mind midway, so he stopped and flashed him a smile instead. _I’ll just have to find some other way to pay him back. For now, I’ll just let him do what he wants._ “Okay.” 

Bokuto grinned in return. _Did you see that, Akaashi? You can totally rely on me!! :D_

...

Akaashi brushed his bangs out of the way as a crisp onshore breeze passed by them, drawing out the fragrance of nearby blossoms along its way. He stole a glance at Bokuto, who had just finished his ice-cream, and noticed the smeared chocolate on his cheek almost right away.

“Bokuto-san, don’t move...”

_Eh? E-EH? S-S-SO C-C-C-CLOSE!!!_ Bokuto froze in position as Akaashi leaned in and wiped his cheek with a handkerchief, absolutely lost in his newburg-green eyes. _S-So close...and so pretty..._

“?” 

_A-Ah! He noticed me staring...so embarrassing! Uh, quick, change the topic...!_

“A-Akaashi, let’s go play in the water!” 

“Wait!” Akaashi swiftly picked up their phones, which were left lying around and placed them in his waterproof pouch. “Slow down, you’ll trip and fall!”

Sometimes, just sometimes, Akaashi wondered if he was actually a seer. No more than a few seconds after his warning, Bokuto let out a yelp after tripping over a couple of seashells and fell into the water. Trying to stifle his laughter, Akaashi hurried over to check on him. “Bokuto-san, are you oka—”

_Splash!_

“Aha! Gotcha!” Bokuto sprung out of the surface and flung his arms into the air, sending a small wave his kouhai’s way. 

“...!” Reflexively shutting his eyes, Akaashi flinched at the unexpected sensation of cold water. But his surprise soon became amusement as he started to laugh. 

_S-SO CUTE! (; / /A/ / ;) His little laugh is just too precious!!_ “Ahh! Pffft!” Distracted, Bokuto let out a startled giggle as Akaashi responded to his sneak attack with a playful splash. 

“Bokuto-san, I won’t go easy on you!” The expression on his face was nothing like his usual composed demeanor: his inky-blue eyes twinkled mischievously when he joined Bokuto in the rippling waters, neither side willing to back down from the water fight. It was only a matter of time before their open-necked shirts became drenched from all the swashing. 

“Huff...Hm?” Finally noticing that the lively chattering on the beach was fading into the distance, Akaashi turned and realized they had strayed quite far away from the crowd. “Bokuto-san, don’t you think we should go back?”

“Huh? U-Uh, but...” Bokuto stammered in a squeaky tone and averted his gaze, trying to hide the panic on his face. _Ah, no no no! Why did Akaashi have to notice? Everything was going so well too...! Uh, what did Kuroo tell me to do when something like this happens? A-An excuse, right!_ “L-Look! Look at that rock! It’s really pretty! I, uh, wanna get a closer look! I’ll race you there!”

“I—” Akaashi cocked his head in confusion as he watched Bokuto swim away frantically. “It’s just a rock...” 

Nonetheless, he followed his senpai as they swam a bit further away from the noise until all that could be heard was the faint sound of splashing water the two produced.

_This place is nice. The beach was a bit too loud, honestly._ “Bokuto-san, the water’s at waist level. You can just walk closer to the rock.”

“O-Okay!” _Huff...I really wanna just straight confess to him, but I don’t wanna mess up! I’ll just give him the letter..._ “Akaashi, I have something for you!”

“What is it?”

“Come over here first!” 

_What could it be? I don’t recall him picking up any seashells earlier today..._ Akaashi went over and slightly leaned on the rock Bokuto had gestured at. He watched as Bokuto reached into his pockets and pulled out a piece of paper, now absolutely soaked and ruined. “Y-You had a piece of paper in your pocket all along?”

“T-The l-letter...” Bokuto whimpered, and soon enough, tears started to well in his eyes. He, without a doubt, had forgotten that it was impossible for his letter to remain dry after playing in the water for such a long time. “I-It’s soggy...sniff...”

_Oh no, he’s starting to cry._ “B-Bokuto-san? You can just tell me!” Akaashi frantically moved in closer and patted him on the head, hoping it would stop his upperclassman from breaking out into tears. 

“Uwaaah...A-AGAAASHI, PLEASE MARRY ME!”

_W-What?_ Akaashi’s eyes widened in surprise, his outstretched hand frozen midair. It took Bokuto a few seconds to process what he had just blurted out, and when the realization finally dawned upon him, he gasped in embarrassment. “WAIT NO! I MEAN—”

“Okay.”

_H-Huh?_ This time, it was Bokuto who donned a perfect ‘surprised pikachu face’. He felt the familiar sensation of Akaashi’s hand falling into his dripping-wet greyish locks again, his slender fingers gently digging in to tousle his hair. 

“But maybe...we can start dating first?” A soft murmur escaped Akaashi’s lips, the blush on his cheeks spreading to the tip of his ears. A lovestruck expression replaced the surprise on Bokuto’s face as he reached out to pull Akaashi in, burying his head into his kouhai’s shoulder. Though slightly startled from the sudden embrace, a smile danced on Akaashi’s lips as he too, wrapped his arms around his newfound boyfriend. 

_So this is what it feels like hugging the person you love...I don’t mind staying like this forever._ Bokuto sighed and nuzzled the nape of Akaashi’s neck, drowning himself in the faint, minty scent of his kouhai’s shampoo. He pulled away to get a better glimpse of his viridian eyes, sometimes inky-blue at a different angle, which now had specks of gold flickering under the sunset. _I was right...his eyes are the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen._

The sharp surroundings gradually softened as blurred strokes of marigold replaced the vivid sunlight seeping in through the clouds. _I thought it was impossible for Akaashi to be even prettier than he already is, but he looks like he’s glowing right now... Ah wait, I almost forgot! I didn’t get the chance to show Akaashi how ‘literature-ry’ I can be!_ “A-Akaashi?”

“Yes, Bokuto-san?”

“Dear Akaashi, my favourite setter in the whole wide world: In my dreams is where I finally get to hold you; in my heart are my uncontainable feelings for you...”

_Is he trying to recite what he wrote in the letter?_ Akaashi smiled at the sight of Bokuto scrunching up his face, as if trying to retrieve a lost memory. 

“I love you as one loves certain obscure things, secretly, between the shadow and the soul...”

_That sounds familiar. I remember just a week ago before Bokuto-san asked me to go to the beach with him..._

_..._

_“Akaashi, what are you reading?” Akaashi jumped at the unexpected voice that startled the hushed surroundings. Bokuto peered over his shoulder and squinted, trying to read the words aloud. “One hundred love sonnets: x-v-i-i? What does ‘x-v-i-i’ stand for? The only word I know that starts with a ‘x’ is x-ray...”_

_“Bokuto-san, please don’t yell into my ear all of a sudden.” Akaashi exhaled as he calmed his pounding heart. “Also, ‘xvii’ isn’t an abbreviation; it’s the number 17 in roman numerals.”_

_“Ooh, looks interesting!”_

_“Interesting? Bokuto-san, I never knew you were into literature.”_

_“Me? Uh...go figure!” Bokuto blurted a random phrase he had heard from his sister and frantically changed the topic, trying to hide the fact he couldn’t understand the poem at all. “S-So, you like this poem?”_

_He nodded in response._

_..._

_So he included that because I said I liked it? Still, I doubt he fully understood what it meant and only included it because of the words ‘I love you’ at the beginning of the sentence. But the first line wasn’t from the poem. Did he ask someone else to write it for him?_

“I love you as the plant...the plant...uh...” _AAA WHAT WAS THE NEXT LINE??_ Bokuto began to panic, desperately trying to recall what came next. “Uh...as the plant loves...the sun?”

_Pfffft, not really...but that was a cute metaphor._ “Thank you, Bokuto-san. That was beautiful.”

“I know! Aren’t I amazing?” 

“...Yes.” _I was always afraid that I wasn’t good enough to stay by your side. Thank you...for proving me wrong._ “Yes, you are. I’m so proud of you.”

“A-AGAAASHI!!!” His expression was no different than a child who had just received praise from a grown-up as he gripped Akaashi’s shoulders tightly, his gaze suddenly solemn. “I know I’m not as smart as you, and... I always rely on you. But I’ll definitely love you more than anyone else ever will, because...prrrr dum dun-dum...”

The ravenette smiled at the uneven drumroll sound effect, waiting patiently for Bokuto to continue. 

“Because...you _‘set’_ my heart on fire!!”

...............Silence came, followed by a stifled laugh. _I knew the romantic mood wouldn’t last long._ “Bokuto-san, I love you too.” Despite the terrible pun made, Akaashi couldn’t help but chuckle—not only at the joke, but also the sight in front of him. 

The powerful ace on court was now a meek boy in love, the faint glow of dandelion-gold around them further highlighting his flushed cheeks. In his eyes were hues of aureate-gold, creating swirls of amber at the borderline of a sunrise; in his eyes were the reflection of the 2nd year who loved him back. Their hands found their way to each other and intertwined for the very first time, causing the happiness in their heart to blossom and bloom rapidly. The moment their lips met, their story began on a new page, where they shared a pen and wrote a future that belonged to them only...

... 

..

.

“And that, my son, is how I got together with your father! You should have seen how cute Keiji was...”

“Kou, you’re torturing poor Kei by keeping him away from his dinner.” Akaashi, who had been watching Bokuto ramble on about their past to their pet owl, reminded his husband gently. Kei hooted in agreement as he pecked the air, shuffling around restlessly in between sad shrieks. 

“OH NO!!!! MY SON IS SAD!” Bokuto gasped and clutched his chest as if in pain. “KEIJI, GIMME THE FOOD!”

“Here you go.” _Finally. I’ve been standing behind him with Kei’s dinner for an hour already._ Akaashi smiled adoringly while he passed his spouse the plate.

“Eat up, Kei! That’s a good boy...” Bokuto grinned and watched the owl dig in. “Hey Keiji, I’d make a great father, wouldn’t I?”

_Father, huh...maybe not quite yet. Then again..._ “Maybe.”

“Keiji! What do you mean maybe?” The seemingly offended man huffed and turned to their pet owl, who looked up cautiously as if protecting his food. “Kei, I’m a good father aren’t I?”

“...Hoooo-hooo—” Kei turned away from the man who had kept him away from his dinner with a final hoot before continuing his meal. 

“?! KEEEEEI, WHY WON’T YOU LOOK AT MEEEEE? I’M A GOOD PAPA, AREN’T I?”

“Alright, let Kei finish his dinner in peace. I’ll go make some hot chocolate for you and then we can watch your favourite movie again.”

“AGAAAASHI, YOU’RE THE BEEEST!” Bokuto yelled joyously as he flung his arms around his sweetheart and nuzzled his cheek lovingly. ... _Then again, I’m very lucky to be loved by him._ Akaashi smiled fondly in return and gave him a peck on the forehead. 

_Thank you for making me that lucky person, Kou. I love you._

**Author's Note:**

> (The next day at night)  
> Kei: sad hoots because Bokuto has been telling him the exact same story for weeks on a daily basis right before dinner  
> Bokuto: So Keiji was like the cutest thing!! Oh, but he's still the cutest thing even up until now!  
> Akaashi: (I'm so conflicted...I don't want Kei to starve but I don't want to interrupt Kou either. I'll go get more food for Kei to make up for it.)  
> bdsDSBID but seriously, thank you so so much for reading until the end! I'm having my exams soon so it'll be a long long time before I post again (sobs into pillow) but I love you guys and thank you for all your support!! <333  
> Happy Valentine's Day!


End file.
